Ana Read online

  Rae slants me a look. She knows what I’m up to and she’s not going to let me get away with it.

  “All I’m going to say is that the man is persistent. He took me home on Saturday and he succeeded in convincing me to give him my number.” Mia shakes her head like she can’t believe she actually gave Gavin her phone number.

  “He told Cole and Luke that he likes you,” Rae tells her.

  Mia lets out a breath. “He asked me out on Saturday but I turned him down. Yesterday, he sent me a bouquet of white Oriental Lilies. They bloom in the summer so I have no idea where he got them from. He called me this morning and asked me if I’d like to go for a hot air balloon ride this weekend. Apparently it’s for charity and his company is sponsoring it. I couldn’t say no especially after he told me that it’s for a children’s hospital. But I made it clear to him that it wasn’t a date.”

  “And of course he agreed to that. He still gets to spend time with you,” Rae says, laughing lightly. “Why are you being so resistant? From what Cole tells me, he’s a really nice guy. And he’s clearly very easy on the eyes.”

  “Yeah, Mia. It won’t hurt to give him a chance. I saw the way he was looking at you,” I say.

  “You know when you see someone and you feel a zing, and it feels like your whole world shifts? I didn’t believe in things like that until it happened to me. I felt like Jake and I were the only people in the bar that night. I can’t describe how drawn I felt to him. It really doesn’t feel right with anyone else.”

  “Mia, it’s been two years. It’s time to move on,” I say gently.

  “I’m not ready. I wish I was but I’m not,” she says sadly. “I don’t expect to ever see him again but . . .”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re going on the ride with Gavin. It’s a good first step,” Rae says. Then she turns to me with a mischievous grin. “Okay, Ana. Your turn to spill. What happened after we left?”

  “I stayed over,” I say with deliberate casualness.

  “You spent the night with Luke?” Mia asks in a voice barely above a whisper, her eyes wide with surprise.

  “Yep.”

  “Wow! Why am I even surprised? You’ve been drooling over him since the day you saw him.”

  “So, what happened?” Rae asks, curiosity shining in her eyes.

  “Nothing happened. He took me home the next morning.”

  “So, that’s it?”

  “Yeah.” Rae looks disappointed with my answer.

  “What do you mean? You’re not seeing him again?” Mia asks.

  “No, I’m not. Luke apparently doesn’t date.”

  “Did he tell you that?”

  “Yes, and he told me that he wasn’t going to call me the next day.”

  “He did?” Rae doesn’t look too happy about that.

  “And you’re okay with that?” Mia asks before I can respond to Rae.

  “Yeah. I am.”

  Mia eyes me, studying me intently. “No, you’re not.”

  “Look –”

  “Be honest, Ana. It’s just Rae and me here.”

  Sighing, I run a hand through my hair. “Okay. Fine. I admit. I’m not cool with it. I wish I was but . . . I’m not.” I look at my two friends who are looking at me with concerned expressions. “I want to be okay with only one night with him, but somehow I feel like I gave him more than my body. Something happened, and it didn’t feel like just sex to me. I don’t know . . . I don’t know what I’m saying.” How do I explain to them that one night with him has me craving more? That I loved being in his arms? That it felt like that’s where I was meant to be? That I’m worried I’m going to be like Mia, comparing every man to him and finding them lacking? And that it scares me? How do I explain all that?

  “The first time I was with Cole, I felt like he claimed my body and my heart. Of course, I stubbornly fought my feelings for him but he didn’t let me push him away. I finally gave in. So I think I understand some of what you might be feeling.”

  “I haven’t been on a date in almost two years. If I had known you were going to spend a night with Luke, I’d have talked you out of it.”

  “You couldn't have stopped me, Mia. No one could. And if I had the chance, I’d do it again.”

  “He must have left quite an impression,” Rae says.

  “Believe me, he did.” I decide to give them a summary of what happened when I woke up in his bed in the morning.

  Rae is gaping at me, like I just told her that unicorns are flying around London. “You showered together, and he washed your hair? From what I’ve heard, he doesn’t let anyone sleep over.”

  “And he made you eat breakfast before taking you home?” Mia turns to Rae. “That doesn’t sound like a typical one-night stand to me.”

  “I was surprised too,” I say. “I wasn’t expecting him to do all that. But I know that there won’t be a second time. I guess it’s the way he sounded when he said goodbye.”

  “But he asked you for your number, right?”

  “He did,” I confirm.

  “You’ll be hearing from him. I can almost guarantee it,” Rae says, smiling broadly.

  As I look at my two friends’ smiling faces, I hate the spark of hope I feel.

  FIVE

  Luke

  I didn’t want Ana to leave on Sunday. I wanted to spend the day with her. I don’t know how many times I had to stop myself from asking her to stay, but I knew it was better for both our sakes to let her go. I’m not interested in being in a relationship with anyone, even Ana, no matter how fucking hot she is, and she seemed okay with spending only one night with me. But now I have a huge fucking problem. I can’t get her out of my mind. I haven’t been able to stop myself from thinking about her. I want to see her again, and not just because my dick has been begging me to. There’s something about her that makes her impossible to resist, and avoiding her has clearly been no help at all. She’s Cole’s fiancée’s best friend which should make her off limits for anything less than a serious relationship but when she made it clear on Saturday that she wanted me, no strings, my resistance was zero. Beautiful, perfect Ana was in my home wanting me to take her. How was I supposed to say no to the woman who has been playing a starring role in my fantasies since the first time I saw her?

  I have to see her again.

  I punch in Cole’s extension on my desk phone.

  “Luke,” he says.

  “Hey, man. Are we watching the game at your place or mine this weekend?”

  “Why are you asking me that on a Tuesday afternoon?”

  “Just want to be sure what our weekend plans are,” I say, adopting a casual tone.

  “Rae and I are spending the weekend in Edinburgh.” Shit. That means I’m not going to see Ana this weekend. Before I can come up with a response, Cole asks, “Why don’t you ask her out?” The fingers I had been tapping idly on my desk stills.

  “What do you mean?” I ask carefully.

  “Luke, I know something went down with Ana on Saturday. It was hard to miss with the way Rae practically hustled us out of your house after dinner. She didn’t want to admit it when I asked her so I had to resort to . . . more creative ways to get the truth out of her.”

  I can imagine the “creative ways” he’s referring to but my focus is on what he’s just revealed. Ana deliberately came over to my house because she wanted to have sex with me. And Rae knew about it. Well, well, well. That changes things. Why didn’t I think about it? I guess my dick was doing the thinking for me. I wanted her so damned much that it didn’t occur to me that it was planned. I’ve known for some time that she’s interested in me. It was hard to miss the way she was always checking me out, and never passed up an opportunity to not-so-innocently brush up against me when we walk past each other. But she’s not just any girl. I didn’t want to cross the line and cause any unnecessary awkwardness between us. Not to mention that Rae wouldn’t have been pleased if I slept with her friend and walked away.

  “Luke,” Cole interrupts my
thoughts. “I don’t want to get involved in whatever you two have going on but remember she’s Rae’s best friend. She could be our kid’s godmother, and I don’t want to have uncomfortable family dinners and occasions in the future.”

  Wait, what? “Rae’s pregnant?” Already?

  Cole chuckles at my tone. “No, not yet. When we decide we’re ready to start a family, you, my friend, will be involved and so will Ana. So you need to make sure there won’t be any problem when this ends.”

  I don’t like his certainty that this thing between Ana and I will end. Yes, I know I told her I wasn’t going to call her but still . . .

  “Who says it’ll end?”

  “Are you going to date her?”

  No. “There won’t be any problems. Ana and I are cool,” I tell him, but as l say the words I know that they aren’t entirely true. I have a big problem and I’m not cool with only one night with her.

  “You’re not your parents, Luke. You are nothing at all like them.” My hand tightens on the phone. I hate any reminder of my parents. I prefer to pretend that they don’t exist, and I do a good job of it until Cole says something like this to remind me that they are the reason I have a problem letting any woman get too close. This isn’t the first time he’s tried to assure me that I’ll never be like them.

  My parents take the award for being cruel. I know for a fact that they only had my brother, Jake, and me because Grandpa Hudson, my mother’s father, had put it in his will as one of the conditions for inheritance. No kids, no inheritance. How do I know this? Because my parents took great pleasure in repeatedly telling us that’s the only reason we exist. Another one of grandpa’s condition is that they have to stay together. And they did even though they hate each other.

  “I know.” I have no intention of getting in a relationship and staying in a poisonous situation. No, I am definitely not like them.

  I drag my mind away from my parents and back to the woman that has been dominating my every thought. I have to figure out a way to see her again without it being a date.

  SIX

  Ana

  After dragging myself out of bed and into the shower sometime around noon, I’ve been camped on my couch, only getting up when I absolutely have to. A half-empty bottle of red wine and an almost-empty pack of honey roasted cashew nuts are on the table beside me. I’m reading a novel on my tablet. This is how I plan to spend the rest of my Sunday evening. I’m not leaving this couch unless it’s to go to bed.

  My buzzer goes off as I’m pouring myself some more wine. I flirt with the idea of ignoring whoever it is. I know Rae is in Edinburgh with Cole, and after their balloon ride yesterday, Gavin somehow managed to convince Mia to go to a gallery opening with him today. The buzzer goes off again.

  “All right, I’m coming,” I mutter to myself. Pressing the microphone button, I say, “Hello?”

  “Hey, Ana. It’s Luke. Can I come up?”

  Luke? Luke Charlton? He’s at my door! Butterflies flutter in my stomach. I can’t believe he sought me out.

  “Yeah. Sure. Come on up,” I say, trying to sound unaffected but my voice sounds slightly breathless.

  I unlock the main door and look down at the tiny shorts and thin tank top I have on. I’m not even wearing a bra. I can’t let him see me like this. I make a quick dash to my bedroom and trip on a pair of shoes in the hallway.

  “Shit!” My toe is throbbing. How did the fucking shoes get there?

  I make it into the bedroom without further incident and quickly take off my top. I grab the first bra I see and put it on. It’s a pink lace bra – one of my favorites, thank goodness. Not that Luke is going to see it. Next, I pull on a black scoop neck T-shirt. I need mouthwash to freshen my breath. I’m in the bathroom when I hear him at the front door. Running my fingers through my hair, I make my way back to the living room and to the front door.

  Taking a deep breath to steady my racing heart, I open the door. Luke is standing in the doorway looking all kinds of gorgeous in dark jeans and a fitted white polo shirt which emphasizes his broad shoulders and sculpted chest and abs. He is too damned attractive. I can’t believe he’s at my front door.

  “I was in the area, and I thought I’d stop by and see you. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

  “No. No, I was just reading. Come on in.” I move aside to let him in and catch a whiff of his heady masculine scent as he moves past me.

  He glances around my living room and open-plan kitchen which has a dining table and four chairs. My one-bedroom apartment is significantly smaller – like a million times smaller – than his house but more than suitable for me. I have enough space for everything I need.

  “So this is where you live,” he murmurs, then turns back to me with a smile. “I like it.”

  “Thank you. Please sit. Can I get you anything to drink?” Why the hell am I feeling nervous?

  He sits on the couch I was sitting on, and looks at the almost full wine glass and nearly empty bottle.

  “You’re drinking alone?” He looks back up at me and notices what’s showing on my TV. “And you’re watching La Liga.” There’s a Spanish match showing. I tried to watch it but I lost interest and decided to read instead. I left the TV on but put the volume on mute.

  “Not really. I put it on but I wasn’t paying attention to it.” There’s no way I’m going to tell him I’ve been watching more football than usual because of him.

  Even though he looks relaxed sitting on the couch, his eyes are anything but. Rimmed with long, dark lashes, they are greener than normal and focused on me with such passionate intensity, conveying some emotion I can’t comprehend. I need to do something that'll distract me even if it's for a minute. Feeling self-conscious standing in front of him while he’s looking up at me with intense green eyes, I ask, “Can I get you a beer? Or I could open another bottle of wine?”

  “Beer is fine.”

  I grab a bottle of beer from the refrigerator and go back to the living room. Luke takes the bottle from me but he doesn’t open it like I expect. He doesn’t even glance at it. His eyes are fixed on me. He places it on the table next to my wineglass.

  His eyes skim my body leisurely. My heart races at the look in his eyes when they come back up to meet mine. “I’m hungry,” he says. His voice sends tingles through my body.

  From the way he’s looking at me, I know he’s not talking about food. I gulp. I wonder if he can hear how loud my heart is beating.

  “You are?” I ask, my voice tremulous with arousal. “I could order –” He doesn’t let me finish. Luke pulls me to him and my ass lands on his thighs. The next thing I know, his mouth crashes down on mine, and the earth moves beneath me. I give myself over to fervent delight and open my lips to let him deepen the kiss. His kiss unravels me. I silently beg him for more than his lips. With an expert move, he flips me so I’m lying on my back. His hand is under my T-shirt, squeezing my aching breast. I moan onto his mouth in response. My hands are pulling at his polo shirt, desperate to get it off.

  Breaking the kiss, he says, “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

  My heart almost stops beating. Did he say what I think he did?

  My T-shirt and bra come off, and his hot mouth is on my hard nipple. His fingers are squeezing my other nipple, making me almost delirious with pleasure.

  “Luke,” I moan, my hands in his hair. “Oh god. Yes.”

  He lifts his head. “Open your eyes, Ana.”

  I immediately do as he says. “Tell me you want me.”

  “I want you so much, Luke.” I’ve never spoken truer words.

  His fingers release my nipple, and he sits up, quickly removing my shorts and panties. He opens my legs wide. I don’t have time to feel self-conscious before his mouth covers my clit. His tongue swirls slowly, and then he licks and sucks me until I fall apart, coming so hard in his mouth.

  Luke stands up and takes off his clothes, not taking his eyes off my naked body. He tears open a foil pack he took out of h
is pocket, and deftly rolls on the condom.

  “Fuck me,” I beg, my voice coming out small, breathless and wanton.

  “With pleasure,” he says with a gleam in his eyes.

  He drives into me and almost fucks me into oblivion. After two more mind-blowing orgasms, I lie engulfed in his arms trying to get my breath back. My head is resting on his chest, listening to his not-quite-steady heartbeat. We stay this way for a few minutes.

  “I thought this was supposed to be a one-time thing,” I murmur languidly.

  “So did I,” he says, his voice also a murmur.

  “I think I gave my neighbors an earful.” I’m too happy to feel embarrassed right now, there’ll be a lot of time for that later.

  Luke laughs. I love the sound. I love the feel of his arms around me. I love the way he looks at me. I love –

  “Now about dinner . . . Pizza?”

  We have pizza and then spend the next couple of hours on my bed. By the time Luke leaves, I feel exhausted but also warm and satisfied. Hours later, my body is still pulsing with the aftershocks of his possession.

  SEVEN

  Ana

  It’s been three weeks since the evening Luke turned up at my apartment. He’s turned up a few more times during the week, and on the weekends, we’ve ended up at his house. To be more accurate, on his bed. Luke doesn’t do things by halves. He keeps me flat on my back or on my hands and knees or sitting on top of him or in any damn position he wants until he’s made me come multiple times. Even when I think I’ve had enough and can’t come anymore, he proves me wrong. He has taken complete control of my body such that I now constantly crave him. By the time he’s done with me, I don’t know if there’ll be any part of me that will be interested in any other man. Besides all the wonderful sex we have, Luke seems curious about my life, my family and my job. I told him about how my parents and I moved from our home in Vancouver to Manchester when I was thirteen because my dad took up a job at the university. What I didn’t tell him was how upset I was about leaving my friends behind. Being an only child to two busy parents made me a little reliant on my friends. And I definitely didn’t want to leave them. As soon as I turned eighteen, I moved to Texas for college with plans to move back to Vancouver. We lost Mom when I was in my senior year, and it put things in perspective for me. Home wasn’t Manchester or Vancouver, it was wherever my family was. Dad still works at the university, and living in London is as far as I’m willing to be from him.